Chapter 22: Inevitably, the Heroine

I Hate the Club (3)

"...Are you feeling any better now?"

After patting her for a while, Reisha finally seemed to feel a bit better and nodded. I glanced at Xenon, wondering why she was crying, but he just shook his head, indicating he didn't know either. Yeah, what would you know?

"Ugh, seriously... I can't believe this is happening."

"What's wrong?"

"It's a club issue. Come to think of it, Aisha, I asked you last time what you thought about joining a club. Have you decided yet?"

"Well... I'm not sure. To be honest, I haven't really been interested in clubs."

"You just have to show up..."

"Ahaha..."

Actually, the club issue had come up so suddenly that I needed some time to think about it. It's not like I've made a definite decision about whether to join or not, and what's the point of joining blindly when I don't even know what clubs there are?

Right now, I was more interested in the 'club issue' that Reisha had thrown out like a complaint than joining a club. Could it be that they still haven't filled the quota? As I guessed, Reisha grumbled that no one wanted to join the club. 'Magic' is a kind of occult, quite niche, so it's natural that no one wants to join...

"I can't accept it. No, seriously, if you just come, I'll fill out the student record for you. The curriculum for activities is all planned out, and it's not like other clubs that force you to participate... why?!"

"It's obviously because of magic..."

A club pursuing magic in a society with Ability, it was already treated as a minor thing in the world I used to live in, but to look for magic in a superpowered society where Ability exists, isn't that just useless?

Even if I'm just a student who doesn't know anything, I honestly wouldn't want to join a 'magic' club. Veronica Professor's club is so famous, too. It might be obvious, but Reisha didn't want to admit it easily.

"Will you guys join?"

"...I told you, I need more time to think."

"The deadline is tomorrow...! What am I supposed to do!"

...Sigh. At this rate, we can't communicate. Maybe the deadline for forming the club is tomorrow. Reisha seems to be quite attached to her club, and she's like this because she can't find any members. I know the situation, but I'm not going to join out of mere sympathy.

"Later, let's talk later."

"Later when...?"

"I'll be sure to visit you tomorrow morning. Okay?"

"...Okay."

Reisha finally nodded with difficulty. I wonder if it's right to appease her like this, even though she's an adult.

#

"Are you going to join a club?"

Xenon, who had been silent while I was appeasing Reisha, asked if I was going to join a club. It's not definite yet, but when I shook my head, Xenon nodded once and turned his gaze away again. But is he going to do it? He did in the original story, but now the story has completely changed, so I don't know what will happen.

"Are you going to do it?"

The guy tilted his head for a moment after hearing my question, then stared at me for a while.

"...Why?"

"If you do it, I'll do it too."

"Really? What if I don't?"

"...I won't do it."

I don't know why he's like this. Well, I guess it's understandable that he doesn't understand since he doesn't know much about clubs.

"Still... I should think about it first. I've received several recommendations."

"...But, I don't really want to join the one Veronica Professor recommended."

"I'm not too keen on that one either, I don't like things that are too strict."

"...That's a relief."

"Huh?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

I don't know why he thinks it's a relief that I'm not joining that one, but anyway, that's not what's important right now. Since I've been recommended, I should look into various clubs, and Frey probably knows a lot about that. Frey definitely knows a lot about that kind of thing. Just as I was about to go to Frey, I felt a emptiness in my stomach and realized it was lunchtime. Didn't I say it was lunchtime when I made excuses earlier?

"Let's go eat now. I'm hungry."

"It's already lunchtime."

"Yeah... I've been stuck here for almost 4 hours."

What I thought would end quickly at first went on for 1 hour, 2 hours, and then continued for 4 hours. And I listened to Reisha's complaints too. I couldn't attend class, and with only a few minutes left of lunchtime, Xenon and I headed to the cafeteria with weak steps.

"What's for lunch today?"

"Probably... braised spicy chicken."

"Ew."

I don't usually dislike braised spicy chicken, but it's a different story if it's from school. The dry, spongy meat, the hastily made side dish with no seasoning, was a menu I wanted to avoid if possible.

...That's how it was when I was in school, but the academy was a prestigious high school, so maybe it's a little better?

"...It's bland."

Of course, even if it's a prestigious high school, it doesn't seem like the school lunch is delicious. The side dishes were bland because the diet was designed to consider the students' growth. Even if it wasn't dry, I couldn't taste anything because it was barely seasoned. I put down my chopsticks after eating a few bites, and Xenon glanced at me and opened his mouth.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"It's not good."

"...Aisha, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"When we were with the professor earlier, why didn't you mention Hera?"

Xenon looked at me with a serious expression, as if he was slightly puzzled. Of course, if I revealed that Hera Carmen was involved in the villains' invasion, Veronica Professor would inform the media, the status of top hero Edwin Carmen would be diminished, and Hera Carmen would also be punished.

However, that's only if things go well - in the best-case scenario.

The fact that Hera Carmen was involved in that was only known to the two of us. There was no evidence, and the media only reported that the villains were unidentified, without even capturing specific characteristics. Hera used Ability in a completely different way than usual, so it was difficult to identify the Ability. There must be millions of people in the world who use water-related Ability, so how can you identify them?

Above all, Edwin Carmen's position is too solid. His daughter, who is the symbol of justice that judges villains, collaborated with villains to carry out a terrorist attack? It's shocking, but the credibility might be lower because it's shocking. Since there's no evidence, it could be treated as a simple rumor and cause harm to us.

We were just students, we needed to prepare more thoroughly and meticulously.

"...It's something like that."

"I see..."

Xenon nodded as if he understood what I was saying. Was he quiet earlier because he was thinking about this? I wanted to inform the professor and let go, but there were too many dangerous aspects.

"Hmph..."

By the way, he eats so much. I put down my spoon in the middle, but Xenon has been getting more school lunch since earlier. How many times is it already? One, two... I counted with my fingers, and after unfolding one hand, I just stared blankly.

"How can you eat all that?"

"I tend to eat a lot."

He doesn't just eat a lot. I thought I would be late for class if I kept waiting like this, so I was about to get up first, but Xenon hurriedly opened his mouth while eating.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going first, class starts in 5 minutes."

"...I'll eat quickly, let's go together."

I couldn't help but sit back down because of the guy's expression, which even seemed desperate, and Xenon quickly started eating the remaining food.

"I'm done."

I stared blankly at the guy who got up from his seat as if nothing had happened after the mountain of food had disappeared, and Xenon scratched his head and muttered.

"...I ate less today."

"Sigh."

I sighed because I couldn't say anything about his eating, and Xenon came next to me, apologizing. He's been strangely... trying to be next to me since earlier. Just in case, I went ahead a little, and after a while, Xenon came back next to me again.

"...Xenon."

"Why?"

"I feel like you keep sticking next to me?"

"...It's probably just your imagination."

Even as he said that, he was even matching his pace to mine, so I decided to give up. I don't know why he's doing this, but it's me who will get a headache if I keep worrying about it. Just as I was ignoring him and walking forward, Xenon carefully opened his mouth.

"...From now on, walk with me."

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"You got hurt. Because of me."

As he said that, he glanced at my neck. The wound I got yesterday, the scar from being cut while fighting the villains... I put a bandage on it so it's not very visible, but he kept worrying about it and continued talking while looking at the scar.

"...I'm anxious."

His red lips trembled for a moment. His blue eyes were also shaking precariously, like the last leaf on a dry branch. What was reflected in his eyes was my complete self. The moment his gaze reached the wound, the shaking became even greater.

"I'm afraid that someone else will get hurt because of me again. I'm afraid that you'll get hurt when I'm not there."

Xenon was anxious. He was probably remembering the memories from when he was young - the countless people who were hurt and collapsed because of him, and he was projecting those people onto me.

...I understand.

Losing someone precious, being trapped in those memories, and not wanting to lose anyone else anymore. I've experienced that feeling so much that I'm tired of it now. Honestly, I don't acknowledge that he's protecting me.

I still have much higher skills than Xenon. If anyone is protecting anyone, it should be the other way around. I don't want to be protected by him. But - I know that feeling well. Even if that person doesn't need to be protected by me. I know how terrible it is to watch someone get hurt and injured because of you.

I reached out to his face and made him look me straight in the eye.

"Xenon, trust me."

"...But."

"Xenon."

What should I call the relationship between Xenon and me? From my previous perspective, the protagonist and the main heroine. The current me and Xenon are... just a relationship where we happen to meet, stop fights, and get caught up in fights. Perhaps there's no title for that relationship, but I thought, what if I added one word?

I absolutely hated being the heroine, and I hated being a supporting character even more. Then, wouldn't being friends be okay?

"Because we're friends, trust me."

That much should be okay.

I thought so as I wiped the tears from Xenon's face, which had turned red.

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